...I've owned everything from mini-bikes to a Ducati Desmosedici (which I still have and is awesome in the extreme), but IMHO the Super Tenere is the really the best motorcycle I've ever owned - at least for me and my riding.

Well, I got my Super T about four weeks ago. Took it off road immediately...with the DS factory tires...and it did great! Road it every day to work...commuter test was an easy pass. Took it to DC from my house this weekend...there and back...6.5 hours each way. Took off in a terrible downpour that was flooding the streets, sat in bumper to bumper traffic with little movement for an hour...then took off averaging about 75-80 mph. Traction control worked great in the deep puddles, and the ride was comfortable. I have all three factory panniers, not one drop of water on the inside. They did great!

Seemed like every time I stopped for gas or coffee, someone had to come up and asks me about the bike.

I am planning on attending the AMA Yamaha Super Tenere Blue Ridge Adventure Ride in Morganton, NC in Sep. I can't wait to test the bike on the trails and mountain passes.

I just did the seat leveling mod and had to go test it out. Amazing what 3/8" will do! Much more comfortable.

While I was out I happened by the parts store just before closing. Got a mini fuse and did the clutch switch mod. Holy hell! Why doesn't Yamaha have three throttle modes from the factory? Touring, Sport and Hang ON! The dreaded off idle stumble/dip/surge is gone.

The only complaint I have is that in comparison it feels slower in the upper gears now.

Got a mini fuse and did the clutch switch mod. Holy hell! Why doesn't Yamaha have three throttle modes from the factory? Touring, Sport and Hang ON! The dreaded off idle stumble/dip/surge is gone.
The only complaint I have is that in comparison it feels slower in the upper gears now.

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Yep!

I love the way mine runs in the lower gears too and that PITA stumble on take off went away. That alone is worth doing the mod. It was 10 times worse taking off 2-up without it and could get you in a bind depending on the condition of your takeoff. Such as a steep up hill with a sharp turn right or left :eek1

I also have a switch on mine and works well. You can tell with the switch in the upper gears holding a constant speed and turn the mod off the engine picks up about a 100 or so RPM's. At least mine does.

Adjustments:
i) Spring Preload was set harder (#3) according to my weight (82kg)
ii) Front Shocks was also adjusted harder
iii) Handlebars set backwards (towards me) about an inch at the bar ends
and clutch and brake levers, handguards and mirrors adjusts accordingly.
iv) Steering bearings was removed, cleaned and regreased. Nuts torqued.
v) Throttle adjusted to remove as much "free play" as possible.
vi) K&N Filter cleaned & lubricated.
And then all the points 1 - 29 of the Owners Manaul Check List.

Oh! For the Rumbux Crashbar owners. When mine was fitted, the original cowling protectors (pg. 65, ref.# 62 on the parts catalogue), was never put back on. On the right cowling it's not a majour issue, but the left cowling protector also serves as a stabilizing bracket for the radiator on the left cowling. Make sure you at least fit the left one.
Quickly refitted both of mine too.

So, what do I think getting Big Blue back? Awesome! :eek1
Valve noise is, well, not noticable anymore. Before is was clattering away.
The Low Oil level warning light no longer appears in the mornings. I'm sure the CASTROL 20W50
that was used in the 15,000km express service was the culprit.
The new tyres now just WANT to corner!
The handle bar adjustment will take some time getting used to, but I LIKE it!

The whole setup now simply inspires so much more confidence.
Recall, I last rode a bike 18years ago, scramblers, ordered my S10 over the interweb and off I went.

I have now rediscovered the Yamaha XT1200Z Super Tenere, the one everyone who is raving about it, raves about.
I finaly feel like I belong on her, that she wants me on her, you know? Like that feeling you get when you ride a
horse that you are perfectly tuned into and vice versa.

That my friends, is what makes a great bike and an awesome ride., IMHO.

A massive THANK YOU to Wayne and the mechs at LINEX! Fantastic service, honest opinions, personal experience (Wayne himslef ownes a white S10), attention to detail and a wealth of information! A job well done, I'm telling everyone!

You can find excellent pricing on the YES plans, so most people consider it to be pretty cheap insurance. It seems like Yamaha stands behind the warranty pretty well also (no personal experience, though).

If you think you might sell the bike in the next 5 years, then it's absolutely worth it. Otherwise up to you, your willingness to wrench, and your skills as a home mechanic.

With the going price for 4 extra years of OEM factory warranty, with no mileage limitations, going for what amounts to about $100 a year, for me it was a no-brainer. I doubt very seriously anything major is going to go wrong on my Super Tenere, but even the replacement of something like fork seals these days is going to run more than $100, so all you need is one minor issue like that a year and the Y.E.S. warranty has paid for itself.

And though I have no foreseeable plans to sell my Super Tenere in the next 4 years, if I had to it would sure be easier to sell since I can say "It still has X-amount of factory Yamaha warranty remaining..."

With the going price for 4 extra years of OEM factory warranty, with no mileage limitations, going for what amounts to about $100 a year, for me it was a no-brainer. I doubt very seriously anything major is going to go wrong on my Super Tenere, but even the replacement of something like fork seals these days is going to run more than $100, so all you need is one minor issue like that a year and the Y.E.S. warranty has paid for itself.

And though I have no foreseeable plans to sell my Super Tenere in the next 4 years, if I had to it would sure be easier to sell since I can say "It still has X-amount of factory Yamaha warranty remaining..."

Just my two centavos... YMMV.

Dallara

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I agree except wearable items like fork seals wouldn't be covered unless they were actually faulty.

I agree except wearable items like fork seals wouldn't be covered unless they were actually faulty.

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Except that everybody I've ever known who has had a fork seal go leaking during the warranty period has had them replaced free-of-charge - on several brands. Even some on these forums with Super Tenere's have had their fork seals replaced under warranty already.

I know when I was a Honda dealer we always replaced leaking fork seals under warranty, unless it was an MX bike that didn't have a warranty, etc.

Just my experience... YMMV, I guess on how customer service oriented your dealer is.

Except that everybody I've ever known who has had a fork seal go leaking during the warranty period has had them replaced free-of-charge - on several brands. Even some on these forums with Super Tenere's have had their fork seals replaced under warranty already.

I know when I was a Honda dealer we always replaced leaking fork seals under warranty, unless it was an MX bike that didn't have a warranty, etc.

Just my experience... YMMV, I guess on how customer service oriented your dealer is.

Dallara

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Yamaha replaced mine. I asked for both to be done so the same oil would be in the forks.
I even said I would pay for the other side. They forgot and only did the leaking one.

Just as well. Almost looks like they used a pipe wrench to get the cap off.

Except that everybody I've ever known who has had a fork seal go leaking during the warranty period has had them replaced free-of-charge - on several brands. Even some on these forums with Super Tenere's have had their fork seals replaced under warranty already.

I know when I was a Honda dealer we always replaced leaking fork seals under warranty, unless it was an MX bike that didn't have a warranty, etc.

Just my experience... YMMV, I guess on how customer service oriented your dealer is.

I agree except wearable items like fork seals wouldn't be covered unless they were actually faulty.

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Just to further address the seal issue...

Fork seals are *NOT* considered "wearable items" when it comes to warranty coverage, any more than any engine seals, final drive seals, wheel bearing seals, etc. would be. Any oil seal should, in theory, at least last the life of the vehicle's warranty period, fork seal or otherwise. And Yamaha apparently is pretty confident of their various seals to offer up to 4 extra years of warranty coverage (a total of 5 years with the initial warranty period) with *NO* mileage limit.

But then again, let's not forget that *ANY* extended warranty - even when it is the original manufacturer's extension of the original vehicle warranty - is no more than a simple insurance policy. They run their projected failure tables, figure out what their projected total outlay for warranty repairs over the scheduled period, take that figure and divide it by projected number of units sold, and then come up with a net cost figure they can live, take a profit margin on that, and sell the "extended warranty"... Simple as that. Yamaha is simply *betting* that the amount they take in for extra extended warranty coverage will more than cover any repair costs they have to pay out to dealers for resolution of warranty claims.

And believe me, there is also the same "bet" figured into the price you pay for the bike for that first year of warranty coverage, too.

And the best part for Yamaha is they get their *retail* price from the dealer on both the bikes and the extended warranty coverage Y.E.S packages sold. In other words, the poor dealer has to pay Yamaha whatever wants to charge, both for the unit and the additional warranty coverage packages... Your dealer doesn't get to haggle or bargain. Think about that the next time you try to grind the poor dealer down to the last nickel on something he has to get from the factory...

The only person you are hurting is the dealer, and maybe yourself if the dealer can't maintain a decent profit margin and ends up going out of business. Yamaha has already gotten their *full retail* from the dealer in the form of the dealer cost he has to pay. :eek1

The only person you are hurting is the dealer, and maybe yourself if the dealer can't maintain a decent profit margin and ends up going out of business. Yamaha has already gotten their *full retail* from the dealer in the form of the dealer cost he has to pay.

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Yeah but... how is this different from any other retail business? Doesn't every retailer pay a cost for an item, and then choose what to sell it for? Whether they choose to have a huge markup or not, or whether they choose to negotiate or not, none of this affects the cost they paid.

I fail to see how haggling "only hurts the dealer", if they're getting 'hurt', they're doing it wrong. I mean, no matter how hard I try to grind a dealer, what they choose to sell it to me for, is just that, their choice. If they go out of business for not making enough profit margin, how is that anyone's fault but their own?

All that being said, I'm not much of a negotiator. If I want something, I buy it. I'll call around (or search online) to find the best price, and I may even ask if they can do any better, but that's it. No grinding from me.

Yeah but... how is this different from any other retail business? Doesn't every retailer pay a cost for an item, and then choose what to sell it for? Whether they choose to have a huge markup or not, or whether they choose to negotiate or not, none of this affects the cost they paid.

I fail to see how haggling "only hurts the dealer", if they're getting 'hurt', they're doing it wrong. I mean, no matter how hard I try to grind a dealer, what they choose to sell it to me for, is just that, their choice. If they go out of business for not making enough profit margin, how is that anyone's fault but their own?

All that being said, I'm not much of a negotiator. If I want something, I buy it. I'll call around (or search online) to find the best price, and I may even ask if they can do any better, but that's it. No grinding from me.

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Certainly true enough, Mikef5000...

Perhaps I didn't say what I was trying to confer as eloquently as I could have, but a professional scribe I'm not. My real point is that all too often some folks *THINK* that when they grind a better deal out of the dealer they somehow are getting some kind of discount from the factory - when nothing could be further from the truth.

The factory *ALWAYS* gets full-boat "retail" essentially. No price breaks, no haggling, no discounts (unless under a specific incentive or promotional program), no nothing. The factory sets the price and the dealer has to pay it, period. Then the factory will usually nationally advertise some sort of "Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price" which essentially fixes the ceiling of profit margin for the dealer, and hence any price "haggling" comes right out of of the dealer's bottom line - and doesn't affect the manufacturer at all.

It's this way for bikes, parts, and extended warranty coverage. I just wanted people to know that no matter how much haggling, grinding, negotiating, etc. somebody does they're not getting Yamaha to lessen the price even one red cent... Only carving bucks out of the dealer's margin.

And believe me, that margin is a whole lot *LESS* than most people think.

The only person you are hurting is the dealer, and maybe yourself if the dealer can't maintain a decent profit margin and ends up going out of business. Yamaha has already gotten their *full retail* from the dealer in the form of the dealer cost he has to pay. :eek1

All that being said, I'm not much of a negotiator. If I want something, I buy it. I'll call around (or search online) to find the best price, and I may even ask if they can do any better, but that's it. No grinding from me.

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I see this as a "what's fair" issue.

I have seen may great local people, and by that I mean modest establishments, great backup, honest service etc go out because they can't compete on initial sales price with the "big box" Lexus driving guy with the marble floors 100Km away.

Now I get to drive 25 - 100Km round trips for all kinds of things which frankly just makes my life harder.

BUT I am not the kind of person that gets all misty eyed by a dude in a suit sitting in a marble clad office with a Lexus parked outside. All I see there is a lot of money spent on things other than service and backup.

But at the same time, I expect value of some kind. Over the years I have given my money to people who back up my reasonable priced purchase and like Mike, I have done the homework and just ask what's the best you can do?

I usually found a bit of a "Marble index" out there. Usually the more marble, the less the establishment is inclined to be genuine and tend to rely on the service department to charge for things that don't seem to have been done.

Luckily for me the "local" YAMAHA place has no marble and work out of a modest establishment and are decent people, and efficient and honest.